Thaindian News

Gandhinagar, Sep 26 (IANS) The political spat between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Governor Kamala Beniwal has intensified with the latter seeking details from the state government on expenditure incurred on his three-day fast.

The letter dated Sep 22, copies of which were circulated to the media Monday, is addressed to the additional chief secretary, General Administration Department (GAD), and sent by Beniwal’s principal secretary Arvind Joshi.

It says that members of the Maha Gujarat Janta Party (MJP) had met the governor Sep 19 and submitted a memorandum pointing out “wasteful expenditure” incurred at state cost on the fast.

MJP president Gordhan Jhadapia, Modi’s minister of state for home during the 2002 riots, who subsequently rebelled and left the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and other office bearers are on a protest fast against Modi here.

Jhadapia said that he had met the governor and urged her to seek an explanation from the chief minister on his “unauthorised and illegal splurging of public money”.

“The chief minister has no business of spending money which is not authorised by the assembly,” he added.

Modi ended his three-day sadbhavna (goodwill) fast Sep 19.

The chief minister had on Sunday organised a rally in Ahmedabad demanding the recall of the governor.

Modi has been miffed with the governor for long, but matters came to a head when she appointed retired high court judge Justice R.A. Mehta as the Lokayukta after the Gujarat High Court chief justice recommended his name.

Beniwal overlooked Modi’s objections and filled up the post which had been lying vacant for the last seven years. The state government has challenged the appointment in the high court.